


Bolt Meets Brandeis

by Katherine



Category: Bolt (2008), Sesame Street (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Dogs, Gen, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 02:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7296412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Once they reached the park Bolt's first thing to do was some excited running around in no particular direction.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bolt Meets Brandeis

**Author's Note:**

> Two links to do with the character Brandeis:  
> [Sesame Street Episode Launches New Service Dog Muppet](http://www.cci.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cdKGIRNqEmG&b=4127877&ct=12188571) (2012 piece at the website of Canine Companions for Independence.)  
> [Brandeis singing "I Want To Be A Service Dog"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQFV1FXAU_g)

When Bolt woke Mittens was already awake, sprawled on the hotel room's couch on what she insisted was the best patch of sunlight. Rhino was up too, scrunched in his ball right up in front of the TV watching a cartoon. 

When Penny went on a trip they all went, but Bolt was quite sure the other two animals were feeling lazier than he was, first thing. So Mittens and Rhino stayed while Bolt went on an outing with Penny.

Once they reached the park Bolt's first thing to do was some excited running around in no particular direction. The hotel room was crowded, and anyway carpet wasn't as good as cool grass under his paws.

That first burst of energy done, Bolt flopped down to look for another dog to play with. This early, he might be the only one, he thought at first. But there at the other end of the path a dog was sitting. It was a mostly yellow dog, with a shape that reminded Bolt of the black dog he'd first learned to play-bow and race with under Mitten's guidance.

As he got closer, Bolt saw what he'd assumed was dark patches of fur on the dog's side was a blue vest. So, all-yellow dog then. He had soft-looking fur and a big black nose; big eyes, too, and a very friendly look.

Bolt set his front paws and bowed, tail wagging, in his best _I'm a dog too, please play with me_ manner.

The yellow dog started to lean forward in an answering play bow, then caught himself and sat up straight again. "I can't play now," he said out the side of his mouth, whispering fast as if sneaking information while on a mission. "I'm busy being really, really helpful to my person."

Bolt hadn't really looked for who this dog was here with. He knew that the park, off-leash where you're supposed to be, you got to pay attention to the other dogs and not the people.

But when Bolt actually paid attention, there was the dog's person, a girl with dark, long hair that would probably be fun to put one's nose in. She was sitting nearby in a wheelchair; Bolt had seen people around in those before. He'd seen dogs in blue vests like this one had, also, but those dogs had never stopped to talk.

This one seemed happy to talk, or anyway whisper. Conversation wasn't playing, apparently. Besides, the yellow dog did keep lots of his attention on his person, ready to do whatever helpful things he did if she needed him right then.

He introduced himself proudly. "My name's Brandeis. I'm a service dog."

"I'm Bolt. I'm... just a dog, really."

Brandeis didn't seem to notice the slight hesitation, and launched into a longer description of himself. He said he'd found his career as a puppy, trained and worked hard and learned all sorts of things that weren't tricks but were useful.

_Like I thought I had,_ Bolt considered, a little sadly. He remembered placing his paws just right to super bark, and how to get the right angle to pull bars apart with his strength. Bolt had learned those useful things, but they weren't real.

Penny came up, and talked a little with Brandeis' person Liliana. Penny ignored Brandeis, which neither the dog nor his person seemed to object to, so maybe they expected that. And it probably did make it easier to not be distracted. Bolt might have been distracted by all the cameras and people filming while he went into Dr Calico's lair for Penny, if he'd known they were there...

Bolt shook his head, having missed whatever Brandeis just said. Probably it had been something adoring about his person. Bolt knew he said such things about Penny, himself, when he could get a word in. Most happy dogs liked talking about their people.

"We're a team," Brandeis finished.

By then, Penny was clipping the end of the leash onto Bolt's collar, telling him, "This dog is working, Bolt, you can do some more running just with me."

_Penny and I aren't that sort of team,_ Bolt thought as he wagged his tail goodbye to Brandeis. _But Penny's my special person, anyway._


End file.
